fix: document onboarding dmScope default as breaking change (#23468) (thanks @bmendonca3)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 - **BREAKING:** remove legacy Gateway device-auth signature `v1`. Device-auth clients must now sign `v2` payloads with the per-connection `connect.challenge` nonce and send `device.nonce`; nonce-less connects are rejected.
 - **BREAKING:** unify channel preview-streaming config to `channels.<channel>.streaming` with enum values `off | partial | block | progress`, and move Slack native stream toggle to `channels.slack.nativeStreaming`. Legacy keys (`streamMode`, Slack boolean `streaming`) are still read and migrated by `openclaw doctor --fix`, but canonical saved config/docs now use the unified names.
+- **BREAKING:** CLI local onboarding now sets `session.dmScope` to `per-channel-peer` by default for new/implicit DM scope configuration. If you depend on shared DM continuity across senders, explicitly set `session.dmScope` to `main`. (#23468) Thanks @bmendonca3.
 
 ### Fixes
 

docs/cli/onboard.md

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ Flow notes:
 
 - `quickstart`: minimal prompts, auto-generates a gateway token.
 - `manual`: full prompts for port/bind/auth (alias of `advanced`).
+- Local onboarding defaults `session.dmScope` to `per-channel-peer` unless `session.dmScope` is already set.
 - Fastest first chat: `openclaw dashboard` (Control UI, no channel setup).
 - Custom Provider: connect any OpenAI or Anthropic compatible endpoint,
   including hosted providers not listed. Use Unknown to auto-detect.

docs/concepts/session.md

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Use `session.dmScope` to control how **direct messages** are grouped:
 Notes:
 
 - Default is `dmScope: "main"` for continuity (all DMs share the main session). This is fine for single-user setups.
+- Local CLI onboarding writes `session.dmScope: "per-channel-peer"` by default when unset (existing explicit values are preserved).
 - For multi-account inboxes on the same channel, prefer `per-account-channel-peer`.
 - If the same person contacts you on multiple channels, use `session.identityLinks` to collapse their DM sessions into one canonical identity.
 - You can verify your DM settings with `openclaw security audit` (see [security](/cli/security)).

docs/gateway/security/index.md

@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ This is a messaging-context boundary, not a host-admin boundary. If users are mu
 Treat the snippet above as **secure DM mode**:
 
 - Default: `session.dmScope: "main"` (all DMs share one session for continuity).
+- Local CLI onboarding default: writes `session.dmScope: "per-channel-peer"` when unset (keeps existing explicit values).
 - Secure DM mode: `session.dmScope: "per-channel-peer"` (each channel+sender pair gets an isolated DM context).
 
 If you run multiple accounts on the same channel, use `per-account-channel-peer` instead. If the same person contacts you on multiple channels, use `session.identityLinks` to collapse those DM sessions into one canonical identity. See [Session Management](/concepts/session) and [Configuration](/gateway/configuration).

docs/reference/wizard.md

@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ Typical fields in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`:
 - `agents.defaults.workspace`
 - `agents.defaults.model` / `models.providers` (if Minimax chosen)
 - `gateway.*` (mode, bind, auth, tailscale)
+- `session.dmScope` (local onboarding defaults this to `per-channel-peer` when unset; existing explicit values are preserved)
 - `channels.telegram.botToken`, `channels.discord.token`, `channels.signal.*`, `channels.imessage.*`
 - Channel allowlists (Slack/Discord/Matrix/Microsoft Teams) when you opt in during the prompts (names resolve to IDs when possible).
 - `skills.install.nodeManager`

docs/start/wizard-cli-reference.md

@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ Typical fields in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`:
 - `agents.defaults.workspace`
 - `agents.defaults.model` / `models.providers` (if Minimax chosen)
 - `gateway.*` (mode, bind, auth, tailscale)
+- `session.dmScope` (local onboarding defaults this to `per-channel-peer` when unset; existing explicit values are preserved)
 - `channels.telegram.botToken`, `channels.discord.token`, `channels.signal.*`, `channels.imessage.*`
 - Channel allowlists (Slack, Discord, Matrix, Microsoft Teams) when you opt in during prompts (names resolve to IDs when possible)
 - `skills.install.nodeManager`

docs/start/wizard.md

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ The wizard starts with **QuickStart** (defaults) vs **Advanced** (full control).
     - Workspace default (or existing workspace)
     - Gateway port **18789**
     - Gateway auth **Token** (auto‑generated, even on loopback)
+    - DM isolation default: `session.dmScope: "per-channel-peer"` (existing explicit `session.dmScope` values are preserved)
     - Tailscale exposure **Off**
     - Telegram + WhatsApp DMs default to **allowlist** (you'll be prompted for your phone number)
   </Tab>